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So Ed Miliband has been elected the new Labour Party leader, and his Brother David has annouced his retirement from front-line politics. Ed can thank the Unions in his election, but to anyone who is keeping up with UK news this was always on the cards. The changes to Government spending has everyone chattering and not a small amount of people ready to join the numerous calls to strike, giving back the power to the Unions that has been absent for so long.

The Unions are already in a strong position. The Government are playing right into their hands with their reforms, and the media is ensuring that doom gloom and poverty is announced on a daily basis. Along with bonuses going to bankers that disgust your average man, and the very likelihood of the New Faces of Labour taking the line of "Old Labour", we are well into our "Winter of discontent Part 2 - Where's the hair?". The departure of David Miliband is likely to see a split in the Labour party, and I do wonder if this is only going to enhance the power of the Unions.… Continues …

David Cameron has suggested that the Pope asked questions of the UK that would have people 'thinking about our society and how we treat ourselves and each other.' Mr Cameron also went on to say ‘Faith is part of the fabric of our country. It always has been and it always will be. Faith is not a problem for legislators to solve but rather a vital part of our national conversation. And we are proud of that.’ Spin, in fact spin so transparent that it makes Alastair Campbell's statement 'We don’t do God’ seem like it came from an honest person.… Continues …

A religious minority decides to build a house of worship in an area considered unacceptable by fringe elements of the religious majority. Although the country professes religious tolerance, and the group has a legal right to build their temple in said area, they are harassed by radicals and ignored by leaders and officials eager to gain political points.

Tony Blair recently remarked that radical Islam is the world's greatest threat. Although I agree that radical Islam is threatening, I don't think it's just Islam that's the problem. I think it's all extremists that we should be concerned with.

I read today that there's a church in Florida, called Dove World Outreach Center, that's planning to commemorate September 11 with "Burn a Koran Day". They've created a Facebook page for the event, that states:

"On September 11th, 2010, from 6pm - 9pm, we will burn the Koran on the property of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam. Islam is of the devil!"… Continues …

On Sunday night, nine passengers of Pakistani descent were removed from a United Airlines flight to Tampa, Florida, after one of them made a comment that alarmed another passenger. At first blush, this incident doesn't seem particularly unusual. Just another in a long string of incidents involving a careless comment and a slightly overzealous flight crew, right?

Except that the nine passengers were officers in the Pakistani military, on their way to a meeting at the invitation of US Centcom. At the time of writing, most news outlets in the United States were reporting only that "nine foreign-born people" were tossed off a plane. The full story can be had by scouring the international press. Dawn.com, a Pakistani newspaper site, reports that a brigadier traveling with the delegation "had misbehaved with a stewardess and told her that 'this would be her last mission'". The article goes on to say that the delegation was held for hours without a clear explanation of what had prompted their expulsion from the airplane.… Continues …

In case you missed it, Iran went nuclear over the weekend. After decades of waiting, the Islamic republic opened its first nuclear reactor, complete with assurances that it would only be used to provide energy and not to arm warheads. In related news, Iran also broadcast the launch of new surface-to-surface missiles, and announced a host of other new weapons (including a "stealth bomber drone"), most bearing names with religious significance.

Because the Shiite-majority republic has repeatedly called for the annihilation of Israel, all eyes now shift to the Jewish state. Israel never faced any real repercussions from the botched flotilla raid a few months ago. Might the newly-emboldened nation employ a surgical strike to eliminate Iran's nuclear plant, thus igniting a regional war? Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) certainly think so, and they're getting ready.… Continues …

In an effort to prepare the UK's hospitality industry for an influx of foreigners during the 2012 Olympic Games, VisitBritain has issued a comprehensive guide to dealing with difficult tourists. Although the tips were compiled by natives of those countries, and are likely intended to cement Britain's reputation as the politest place on earth, the sometimes-bizarre list may perhaps serve to reinforce stereotypes and even offend the very people they were designed to protect.